Guidelines in the Implementation of the International Youth Volunteer Program

September 16, 2014

NEDA OFFICE CIRCULAR NO. 09-14

GUIDELINES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

WHEREAS, Republic Act 9418 or the Volunteer Act of 2007 mandates the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA) to formulate guidelines and policies, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the volunteer service programs in the country;

WHEREAS, as part of the International Volunteer Service (IVS) component of the National Volunteer Service Program (NVSP), PNVSCA coordinated several international youth volunteer programs from 2008 to 2012;

WHEREAS, based on its five-year (2008-2012) experience in coordinating international youth volunteer programs, PNVSCA developed the International Youth Program Framework (IYVF) that shall guide volunteer service organizations in implementing international youth volunteer programs in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the said framework adopts the foreign volunteer service program's objectives of technical cooperation and socio-cultural exchange, thus aligned to national development policies and international commitments such as the Foreign Volunteer Deployment Framework 2012-2016, the Volunteer Act of 2007 or RA 9418, the Philippine Development Plan and the Millennium Development Goals;

WHEREAS, the IYVF was presented to and approved by partner International Volunteer Service Organizations (IVSOs) and the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Body (MSAB) on 04 October 2013 and 19 November 2013, respectively;

WHEREAS, the Executive Director of PNVSCA is mandated to promulgate rules and regulations for the effective implementation of the volunteer service program;

NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure alignment of objectives of the international youth volunteer programs to national development policies, and to achieve the objectives of foreign volunteer service programs, this set of guidelines is hereby adopted.

SECTION 1. Policy Statement. — The deployment of international youth volunteers in the Philippines shall be in accordance to the standards and guidelines of the International Youth Volunteer Program Framework.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. — The terms used in this Guideline shall be defined as follows:

2.1 Youth volunteer program. — A youth volunteer program is a formal type of volunteering for the youth implemented by PNVSCA's partner volunteer service organizations wherein young volunteers aged 18 to 30 are involved in development initiatives towards the achievement of national and international development goals. AIHDcC

2.2 Professional youth volunteer. — He/She is a volunteer aged between 18 and 30 years old and a graduate of a bachelor's degree course or a vocational/technical course with at least one year relevant work experience.

2.3 Student volunteer. — He/She is a volunteer aged between 18 and 30 years old, and enrolled in the country of origin in an undergraduate degree course, or a high school graduate preparing for university (gap year). If enrolled, the student volunteer does not earn any academic credit for the volunteer work.

2.4 Technical assistance. — Technical assistance is a non-financial assistance provided by local or international professionals through sharing of information and expertise, instruction, skills training, transmission of working knowledge, and consulting services and may also involve the transfer of technical data. Technical assistance is aimed at maximising the quality of project implementation and impact by supporting administration, management, policy development, capacity building etc.

2.5. Socio-cultural exchange. — It is a process that involves exchange or sharing of experiences within the socio-cultural context of religion, ethnicity, gender, family, education and economic status as well as ideas, language, customs, skills, art and tools. Socio-cultural exchange also impacts on how we exists, think and relate to others.

SECTION 3. Objective of the International Youth Volunteer Program Framework. — Section 6 of RA 9418 or the Volunteer Act of 2007 states that volunteer assistance by foreign volunteer organizations includes the "provision of technical assistance not locally accessible in priority development areas within the framework of technical cooperation and socio-cultural exchange". "Youth volunteers shall continue to support the development initiatives of partner institutions through capacity building, skills exchange and institutional strengthening.

SECTION 4. Categories of International Youth Volunteers. — There are two categories of international youth volunteers: (1) professional youth volunteers, and (2) student volunteers.

SECTION 5. Roles of the Youth Volunteer. — The following youth-specific roles were identified to support and/or complement the development worker's or technical expert's role:

5.1 Professional youth volunteer — Researcher, co-trainer/co-facilitator, junior development worker, technical assistant, community development facilitator, youth/social services adviser

5.2 Student volunteer — Junior researcher, technical support, co-facilitator, communications/advocacy/communications officer, youth/social services assistant, life skills coach, events coordinator

SECTION 6. Priority Sectors for Youth Volunteer Involvement. —

6.1 Agriculture — sustainable farming, farm planning, budgeting and management, bio-technology, agri-marketing, information technology, resource mobilization, community organizing, organizational development, networking, livelihood development support

6.2 Education — alternative learning systems, special education, IP education, sports development, English, Math, general science and information technology

6.3 Environment — advocacy on waste management, community-based forest management, environmental protection and conservation, ecotourism

6.4 Governance — information technology, management information system, human resource development, policy advocacy

6.5 Social-services — children and youth development activities including children in-conflict with the law (CICL), persons with disabilities (PWDs) and people special needs

6.6 Health — healthcare services and management, advocacy on good health and proper nutrition

6.7 Gender and development, human rights, disaster preparedness and mitigation, and climate change adaptation may be integrated as cross-cutting themes

SECTION 7. Priority Geographic Areas for Volunteer Development. — International youth volunteers shall be deployed in the priority sites identified in the current Foreign Volunteer Deployment Framework except in areas that may be considered as high security risk.

SECTION 8. Duration of Volunteer Assistance. —

8.1 Professional youth volunteer — 6 to 12 months with the option to extend for a maximum of 12 months

8.2 Student volunteer — not more than 12 months

SECTION 9. Volunteer Qualifications. — Both professional youth and student volunteers shall be from 18 to 30 years old. The professional youth volunteer must be a graduate of a college degree course or a vocational-technical course with at least one (1) year relevant work experience; whereas a student volunteer must either be in an undergraduate degree course in the country of origin (if enrolled, the student volunteer does not earn academic credit for the volunteer work), or a graduate of high school preparing for university (gap year); and has the appropriate or relevant training prior to deployment in the volunteer assignment.

SECTION 10. Deployment Target. — The number of youth volunteers to be deployed every year shall be determined by each partner IVSO with factors to consider such as (1) LPI capacity to implement a project with volunteer 1 n assistance; and (2) supply vis-à-vis demand, i.e., availability of youth volunteers to respond to volunteer assistance requests from local partner institutions.

SECTION 11. Deployment Guidelines and Procedures. — The international youth volunteer program shall follow the guidelines and procedures of the International Volunteer Service Program in requesting a volunteer, deployment and monitoring and evaluation.

SECTION 12. Pilot Testing, Monitoring and Review. — The international youth volunteer program guidelines shall be pilot tested by PNVSCA for two (2) years to ascertain appropriateness of the standards. Enhancement or modification of the guidelines may be done when found necessary. ETDAaC

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause. — All office orders and circulars issued by PNVSCA or parts thereof contrary or inconsistent with the provisions of this circular are hereby deemed repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 14. Effectivity. — These Guidelines shall take effect after fifteen (15) calendar days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Signed in Quezon City, this 16th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Fourteen.

(SGD.) JOSELITO C. DE VERAExecutive DirectorNational Economic and Development AuthorityPhilippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency

In consultation with the MSAB:

(SGD.) ATTY. JOSE WILFRIDO S. OCAChairmanNational Economic and Development AuthorityPhilippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency

ATTACHMENT

International Youth Volunteering Framework

 

OBJECTIVE	To contribute to the achievement of development goals by performing
		youth-specific roles that support and/or complement the development
		initiatives of the partner institution and the community.
CATEGORIES	Professional youth volunteer
		Student volunteer
VOLUNTEER QUALIFICATION	Professional youth volunteer	Student volunteer
1.	Age	18-30 years old
2.	Education and Experience	At least a graduate of a bachelor's degree	Either enrolled in an
		course or a vocational/technical course	undergraduate course in a
		At least one (1) year relevant experience	university/college, or a high
			school graduate
			preparing for university
			(gap year)
DURATION OF VOLUNTEER	6-12 months but may have the option to	3-12 months
ASSISTANCE	extend
INTERVENTION AREAS/	Agriculture, Industry and Services, Education, Environment, Social
SECTORS	Development
		Cross-cutting themes: gender and development, human rights, DRRM
		and CCA
ROLES		Researcher, co-trainer/co-facilitator, junior	Junior researcher, technical
		development worker, technical assistant,	support, co-facilitator,
		community development facilitator,	communications/advocacy/
		youth/social services adviser	communications officer,
			youth/social services
			assistant, life skills coach,
			events coordinator
GEOGRAPHIC AREAS	Priority provinces and municipalities identified in the FVDF

 

Footnotes

n Note from the Publisher: Missing footnote text.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 110, No. 45, page 6881 on November 10, 2014.